Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-20

and nRreement mat her territory WINCH
she retained should never thereafter be
dismembered or lessened. The Gene
raj Government violated this compact,
and is both legally and morally liable
10 make good the loss occasioned by
the act. Meet the issue, gentlemen,
in broad and catholic spirit, and re-
member that tho whole country is look
ing TO you for relief. The people
are weary OF the subterfuges
which have been made both by
Democratic and Republican legisla-
tures. They are disheartened because
their moral sense of right has
been shocked by the attempt to make
one set oflaws for the public creditors
and another for private creditors-by
the attempt to change the fundamental
| law of evidence. which will yet work
mischief of which its authors never
dreamed by the attempt to revive the
barbarous laws of the middle ages; by
the attempt to make unreasonable re-
strictions, based not upon right and
principle, but upon the passions and
| prejudices of politicians. All OF these
wretched subteriuges have but one OBJ
| ject, and that is to defeat the public
creditor of his rights under sacred
contract Far be it from me to write
anything which will carry With it the
sting of pain. On the contrary, my
| aim IS
PEACE AND CANCELLATION.
Stung myself by the gross injustice
of the funding bill of 1871, l have IN
the past made use of bitter expressions
| / fain would recall. | have launched
| forth polemics at the public creditor
which, perhaps, should never have been
written but / never dreamed Ct repu-
| diation. 1t never occurred to my mind
that such legislation as has been en-
acted in the last two years was possible.
| So unqualified has been my denuncia-
| ton of this legislation that have pro-
badly erred on the other extreme and
hurled epithets of whitening scorn at
| The out-and-Out 6-per-cent. flinders who
gave US the funding bill, and who now
propose as a remedy to give us constl-
tutiOnal amendment which they think
will amount to reputation. This
course may be inconsistent on my part,
but / think not. And ! say here, gen
tlemen, that the people of Virginia re-
coil with horror at the bare idea OF re-
pudiation. Place not, l implore you,
| this dire alternative before the grand
old Democratic party, which is already
staggering under grievous load OF
| execrable legislation. | love the Demo
cratic party. The people love it. The
best years of my life have been devoted
to its support. never for an instant
entertained the thought of voting any
other ticket. | have nowhere else to
60. Spare us. / entreat you, the
wretched humiliation of having to vote
| for reputation. For one, / will never
do it.
NEVER NEVER NEVER
And there are thousands on thou
sands of country people who will never
vote for it. And the great fault OF the
present Legislature is that they seem
| to believe that the sentiment of the
country favors this odious and sbomi-
nable measure, about which it is ex-
trC mely difficult for me to write with
moderation. In 1888 under the Con-
stitution a convention will be called to
alter aud amend the Constitution.
This is imperative. That the people
| will vote in favor OF a convention for
many reasons there cannot be doubt.
Why, then, should we in advance submit
| TO them a constitutional amendment,
| Il. h. Ill t.tAtn Ia
altered and amended in two years
And what adds to the sting of the thing
is that if we should heap disgrace upon
ourselves by voting for reputation it is
fortunately out of our power to accom-
pllsh it,
have written more than | intended.
In conclusion, gentlemen, l appeal to
you to turn a deaf ear to the threats of
the demagogue and the political mounte-
bank, who would fain persuade You
| that principles are but shadows-that
honor is but a myth. Duty has been
| truly said to be the sublimest word in
| the English language Perform it, gen.
| tlemen, and your names will live in the
pantheon of history" Place not the
banner of bad faith and dishonesty in
the hands of the Democratic party, for
| if you do it will sound its requiem, and
| it will not have even the poor benefit
Of oblivion. for it viii have gained an
Immortality of infamy." Temporary
expedients for the time subserve their
purposes, but in the end they recoil
with ten-fold force upon their authors
Settle the debt upon 3 or 80 per cent
basis, and place in our hands the ban
ner of good faith-let us do right be-
cause it is right and we can, with
hope and enthusiasm, sound the
| pibroch to the Democratic elan, and
many n Douglass, faithful and true,
will rally to the support of the conse-
Grated banner of his faith. The foun-
dation Of the future success of our
party will thus be laid broad and deep.
Let the following sound and states
manlike doctrine Of Judge Joseph II.
| Christian, which deserves to be written
i'll letters of gold, be your guide:
"The inyiolability OF contracts, pub
lie and private, is the foundation of all
social progress and the cornerstone of
ali the forms of civilized society
wherever an enlightened Jurisprudence
prevails"
Follow this and settle the debt, and
Virginia, relieved OF this incubus, will
go forward with leaps and bounds in
the onward march of prosperity. I'm
migration and capital will flow into our
doors and the Democratic party will
add another and by far the greatest
trophy which has ever streamed from
70 10 nstnR nn1 rn1, will desnrun %